Day 16: Christmas day

Day 16 Christmas  Early arising for me 7 am to Skype the fam but they leave me waiting 30 mins anyway! Then I can't actually speak to them cos I get told off by Liz for being too loud while the house is asleep so it was not the greatest success. After about an hour I head back to bed. No one gets up until about 11 30 then when Mateo arises and says (in Italian) is Australia far from here? It was so cute. We told him it was 24 hours on the aero plane. He contemplated this then climbed out of bed and went downstairs.  We went downstairs and find out that tomaso had  been vomiting all night which is why Mateo came up to escape the commotion. So poor Elisa and joe had been up all night! Coffee for breakfast as it was almost lunchtime anyway. Then joe and Mateo and the 3 of us strolled down to Daniella's for Christmas lunch. Elisa stayed home with Tomaso and Ricardo while we enjoyed a tremendous feast :(.  So... Entree was a plate of little packaes- prosciutto wrapped soft cheese, a cheesy pastry delight, a spinach dip and some bread. Then asparagus soup. Then some delicious meat with spinach and beans with bacon. My favorite was desert- semi freddo torronne which was an ice cream kind of nougat cake draped in rich chocolate sauce- to die for. Coffee and fruit to follow. We then exchanged gifts. We each received a moisturiser from Elisa, face mist from Daniella and a scarf, mittens, stockings and socks from a family we had not yet met!  Giordano took us to some old castles and told us about the history of the beautiful buildings. He also took us to his grandfathers old home- now very run down- and told us stories of coming here and feeding the horses and staying with his grandad. He also told us where nonno was staying when he first met nonna and where and how they met. Later on more family came over and poor Elisa was in her PJs nursing tommaso and Ricardo whilst trying to entertain guests! After Daniella and Luciano came over again and brought dinner. Soup, delicious cheese, salami, chocolate and biscotti. And then domire time...